Chapter Twenty Five: Difficulties, withered or defeated?

Bone Knuckles

DUR (Durability)

9/10

ATT (Attack)

8.00

PRO (Protection)

0.00

UPG (Upgradable)

Royal Slime, Self-Hardened Bone-root, [Hollowed] Imp ribcage.

The blue screen filled her eyes and her eyes alone as she walked with her group up the grueling staircase back.

The status menu for the knuckles now underlined the royal slime but no further action was noticed, by Waynev at least.

“-going to clean that slime off you?”

A silence followed as Waynev looked up and found Kresley looking at her.

“Slime?”

“What else could be making that sound with every step?” Shadow, who had been quiet, asked annoyed.

Waynev could sense Pill’s eyes reach her back as she looked down while keeping up the pace.

Her brand-new leather chest piece was soaked in the slime, as was her pants while her shoes were slimed but thankfully unaffected.

Expecting the worse she looked closer but could find only the goo, while any signs of damage the acid could’ve done were hidden

“How am I covered in it?” Waynev thought back to the fight.

She had avoided the slimes for the most part, but glancing blows seemed to have left their mark although minor.

Padded Leather pants

DUR (Durability)

1 = About to break.

10 = Better than new.

9.3→9.1/10

ATT (Attack)

1 = Worse than bare fists.

10 = A mediocre weapon.

100 = ???

0.00

PRO (Protection)

1 = Nearly threadbare.

10 = Mediocre armor.

100 = ???

9.85

UPG (Upgradable)

Unique equipment =Possibly upgradable?

(Locked)

Padded Chest-armor

DUR (Durability)

1 = About to break.

10 = Better than new.

8.9→8.7/10

ATT (Attack)

1 = Worse than bare fists.

10 = A mediocre weapon.

100 = ???

0.00

PRO (Protection)

1 = Nearly threadbare.

10 = Mediocre armor.

100 = ???

12.4

UPG (Upgradable)

Unique equipment =Possibly upgradable?

(Locked)

Checking the status quickly the slimes did close to no damage.

“Maybe the acid only affected living beings? Though how would a chemical reaction differentiate..” Shadow wondered, as Waynev realised Pill had just spoken to her.

“Sorry can you repeat that? It's been a long day.” Waynev turned back to see Pill with a small grimace and sweat on his face… and snakes.

“You should clean off the slime as soon as you can,” He huffed, catching his breath before continuing.

“It attracts monsters and… flies.” Waynev could see Kresley and Vaud in front of her shiver.

“Why? Are there giant flies?” Vaud turned and gave her a flabbergasted look.

“No, they're just a lot of them.”

Half-way to the top of the dungeon the group took a break on floor E.

As Waynev grabbed her waterskin she nearly went to chug it before making sure it wasn’t the one filled with the royal slime.

“Imagining you chugging down the slime would be funny, but unrealistic. It’s as thick as honey.” Waynev briefly imagined trying to chug the waterskin only to find out it’s honey when the liquid slowly drips out of the container.

As she drank her mind went back to the slime and the map.

“-ore than enough for a few days at the inn.” Vaud mentally accessed.

Peering inside the waterskin that was now a slimeskin, as Shadow called it.

Vaud handed back the skin as he looked back to the map sprawled out on the ground.

Arguably the best loot discovered was just out of reach.

Pill was hovering over the map, his eyes focused on the X and the space between it and Aestern.

Kresley however seemed to have seen enough already, as the team’s navigator she already made her point minutes ago but her teammate’s grumbles still continued.

“Seems professional advice is also ignored in this world.” Shadow dejectedly whispered, her adoration with Kresley came out.

“It’s so close… that map could’ve been there for decades, centuries even. Untouched and waiting for us.” Pill gestured not at the group but at himself.

“It doesn’t matter if we're too weak to even make the journey,” Kresley said, her voice lacking it's usual shyness.

“And-” Vaud interrupted, noticing the turn in the conversation.

“-we all know how dangerous dungeons are, especially unmapped ones or… [Gilded]-built ones.” Vaud’s tone quieted as did the group when he mentioned the [Gilded] rank, Shadow took this moment to whisper.

“Out of reach, unable to breach, untold treasure or just hopeful speech?” Shadow cryptically made her observation, she was studying the group as much as she was the map.

“Vaud, I-we don’t know if people are even capable of making dungeons. Also… Uhm, has anyone else noticed the initials?” Kresley hesitated as she pointed to the bottom left of the map.

S.M

Pill dragged his eyes away from the X, looking up at Kresley before looking at the miniscule blue letters.

Vaud peered over but didn’t make the connection Kresley had made, and by the looks from his snakes he didn’t either-

Sucking in a hastened breath, Pill’s eyes widened as he looked at his group.

“It’s the S.M.”

“Sildren Marik, the Fallen.”

Waynev and Shadow both noticed the sudden change in their expressions, even the stoic Vaud had his mouth open with surprise and disbelief.

“Wait. As in Dockern’s first Guilded?” Vaud whispered close to the group, as he quickly checked around the floor in-case anyone was listening.

“Well… I don’t know-But it could, maybe be him, I didn’t want to bring it up in-case I was wrong.” Kresley stuttered out.

“Don’t worry Kres even if you did get it wrong no one would blame you for it. And good job on finding the signature in the first place!” Waynev exclaimed.

“Yeah I agree b-good job.” Vaud’s mistake was glossed over by everyone but Shadow.

As eyes fell on Pill he huffed and rolled up the map.

“Yeah, yeah good job on telling me about it.” Pill pushed up from the ground as the group slowly followed, their break finished.

“Finally, Kres is getting praised. I wonder if more praise would help her overcome her shy tendencies…”

Ignoring Shadow Waynev pitched in.

“For now let’s focus on getting back and some rest, I don’t know about you guys but I’ve been sleepier lately.” Waynev ended in a yawn as Shadow guilty focused on anything else.

Which ended up being Kresley.

The staircase slowly became more alight as the group ascended, likely to spot any monsters who were trying to escape or stop anyone trying to sneak in, as they were less than two floors away Shadow spotted a sudden red outline that disappeared.

Near Kresley.

Looking closer she quickly scanned the surroundings.

The walls were polished smoother than some of the glasses she drank at the bar, the railing however was falling apart Shadow noticed looking at the numerous scratch and bludgeon marks.

Then finally came the wooden stairs, each step was detailed in numerous grooves and marks of use.

All of them except one, which now looking at it, was odd.

It looked brand new however unlike the other steps the wood had no lines or other colours other than a bland brown.

Looking closer Shadow checked how it was attached to the wall as Kresley raised her foot about to step on the unusual wooden plank.

At the attachment Shadow noticed it wasn’t screwed in, it was holding itself in.

With little tentacle-

“Waynev, stop Kresley!” Shadow shouted, Waynev reacted in record speed jumping halfway to Kresley just as the step grew a maw large enough to swallow her whole leg.

“Kresley STOP!” Waynev screamed.

But too late.

As Kresley was about to take the step she saw an array of white teeth staring greedly at her-

Screaming she fell forward missing the step but the monster didn’t stop transforming.

Pill who was behind her shouted, “MIMIC” before quickly grabbing his crossbow.

Vaud on the other hand turned to see the disturbing transformation of the mimic.

From flat wood to an animated dirt coloured crocodile, it’s tail was a swarm of tentacles and it's body was still flat, unconsciously mimicking as it snapped at the nearby Kresley with limited success.

It’s powerful jaw met her pack and ripped it from her, at the same time throwing her down the steps and right into Waynev who was coming up the side, trying to sneak behind it.

“Poove” Her breath shook out of her as Kresley and herself fell down a few steps and into the railing,

As their bodies collided with it the railing fell clean off and into the depths, Waynev barely avoided the same fate while Kresley was weakly trying to get up from under her.

Turning around Waynev could see Pill shoot off a bolt which found it’s mark but unfortunately it’s wooden mimicked shell stopped the bolt less than an inch in.

Vaud meanwhile was swinging at the crocodile as it tried snapping at his feet, he blocked it’s pursuit of Kresley but they had problems.

There was two openings to almost certain death right next to them and Vaud was being pushed back into one of those openings where two of the team still lay.

“Wayne-”

“I know.” Waynev finally untangled herself from Kresley and could hear the telltale sounds of another bolt being fired but didn’t expect any miracles from Pill.

Which was good because they didn’t come.

Not from him at least.

“Monster on the staircase for floor B, MOVE!” An authoritative voice caught Waynev’s ear but she couldn’t look away as the wooden shapeshifting crocodile finally caught Vaud just as Waynev had begun to help.

Learning from the last encounter Waynev ducked to the side as Vaud was thrown down the staircase and into Pill.

“Shit.”

The shapeshifter seemed to open its jaws wider in glee as it grew two more mouths with plentiful teeth.

Her only weapons were her fists, kicking was definitely not an option and she had no ranged options.

Waynev planned to run before remembering someone vital.

Kresley hadn’t gotten up yet.

The shapeshifter lunged at her and time slowed.

If she dodged Kresley would be instantly ripped apart, if she stayed her arms would be ripped to shreds, what could she do?

What should she do?

Could the quest be completed if she lost two limbs?

If she lost her arms, could the inevitable be defeated?

In that split moment she made the decision she would regret.

She turned her feet to dodge only to see Kresley’s prone form, her hair, her tears, the blood.

Elise.

Why now?

The shapeshifter had already lunged towards her.

Pivoting back she knew she couldn’t leave her, it would be the same as betraying Kresley.

Betraying her promise to Elise by extension.

Facing the monster she felt no fear.

Only determination as she raised her arms the jaws finally came into contact with her and a literal bone-wrenching crunch resounded throughout the cavern.

Waynev slammed into the floor her, her back and head aching as did her arms whale her weight was magnified by the-

By nothing.

Opening her eyes she could heard Shadow gasped as she looked at the crater, the blister, the pimple plaguing the otherwise featureless wall.

In the crater a smoking figure was crucified with still glowing red bolts but otherwise it’s head hung lifeless by the side.

Feet descended and Waynev was gifted with the sight of a cruel looking mage.